charming and well written story that really sucks you into the world which it is set in. would definitely recommend. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I enjoyed this mid life ‘coming of age’ story. The characters were well developed, written so well they activated my senses. I have never been to Georgia, but feel I know it much better after reading this book. The struggles, the activism, the passion for peace and self rule were enlightening. Marrying those themes to the lost protagonist was brilliant. Thank you for the opportunity to read a galley. I will enjoy watching this come on the scene, and I hope it does well.

Amy Webb escapes her own mess to fly across the world to solve someone else's problems. Or rather, find a beloved missing community dog. She is flawed, as are all those around her, and it's not entirely clear how much she learns about herself, even in situations that should bring clarity to her life and decisions. This isn't a story I've read before. It's contemplative, cross-culturally eye-opening, and would make a great book club pick.

I was expecting a mid-life crisis novel about a woman who decided to do something purely for her own means after a lifetime of doing things for other people. And this novel certainly started off that way. And then the main character got on a plane to Georgia (the country) and it became something very different. I found myself being given a history lesson about the ethics and politics of a country that is fighting for its right to stay independent. All very fascinating but far removed from the genre I was expecting.
There is a dog in Georgia but don’t expect this book to be about dogs. And don’t expect a neatly tied up ending. I just finished it and am still scratching my head to understand what actually was going to happen next.
Secretly I would have loved there to be a doggie happy ending. I am not even sure the humans got a happy ending.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

There is this dog in Tbilisi, Georgia, called Angel, who used to help schoolchildren cross the road but then disappeared.
There is this woman in New York City, USA, called Amy, who used to derive a sense of purpose from caring for her husband and stepson, but the stepson is now away at college, and the husband is cheating, so Amy is hit by a midlife crisis of meaning.
There is this country that isn’t currently called an empire but behaves like one, as if it doesn’t already have enough land.
It’s been a year since that empire most recently invaded Ukraine to start the full-scale war.
It’s been 15 years since that empire most recently invaded Georgia, occupying part of its territory.

I am usually not a fan of the story type “oh no, I have just discovered that I’ve been living a life that’s not my own for the past several decades, and now my prime time is long gone.” But I am a huge fan of stories that combine a genre formula[*] with some real-life concerns.

[*] I know it’s not common to think of stories about a midlife crisis of meaning as a genre formula, but on the keyboard of this reviewer, the term doesn’t imply anything derogatory in terms of the quality of writing or literary worth—just that there are some expected elements that recur between different stories and can be counted as part of the formula.

Well, in this novel, I really liked the combination of the two levels—the personal and the social/political. Neither feels like an afterthought, a wrapper, or a background for the other. You may come for the relatable and touching story of Amy’s search for her own worth and stay for the “Vices of Russian Imperialism 101.” Or vice versa—you may come for the interest in Georgia, its culture and political struggles, and stay for the heartfelt story of Amy’s personal journey. (But most likely the first trajectory, just because of how the book is marketed.)

When you encounter a book about a region you care about by a foreign author, there’s always a reason for anxiety about how they’ll portray it. While I have no connection to Georgian culture, I’ve been to Tbilisi quite a few times, so I appreciated how thoroughly Grodstein depicted the city space in the novel. It feel very real and recognizable once you have the mental image to refer to. While I cannot judge how it will read to a native of the city, it is clearly the work of someone who came, paid close attention, and took care to share their impressions with the audience. (Okay, I’ll spell it out: rather than treating it as some abstract exotic location that’s just a backdrop to the character’s spiritual journey of self-discovery. That’s what we’re anxious about, right?)

I also liked how there are multiple well-detailed secondary characters, each with their own agenda and understanding of the world—not just props for the main protagonist to discover something.

So I guess I liked it much more than I expected when I mostly grabbed it for “Dogs? Tbilisi? Wrap me one.”

Publication date: August 5, 2025.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an eARC through NetGalley. The opinion above is entirely my own.

46 year-old Amy has been married to restaurant owner Judd for years and has raised his son as her own. Now that he's in college, she has found herself spending much of her time watching YouTube videos about a special dog named Angel in the Republic of Georgia, who has gone missing after she has spent years helping school children cross the street in her small town. Since Amy has a background in dog rescue, she decides to fly to the Republic of Georgia to help find Angel with her drone and traps and American know how, hosted by the woman she has been corresponding with on line.

Once Amy gets to Georgia, it's obvious she's there not only to look for the dog but to try and
figure out what she wants to do with her life and her marriage. The reader is also introduced to the political unrest in Georgia
and there is much knowledge to be gained here for those of us who have little knowledge of the politics in this area of the world. Amy gets pulled into conflict between her host and her politically active and protesting teenage daughter which is used as a storytelling device to educate us.

I learned quite a bit in this novel but it wasn't really what I was expecting from the synopsis and title. Yes there are dogs, but not as much as I had anticipated, and Amy's character seemed to be pulled in SO many directions. There are plenty of great reviews already so I may just be the outlier here saying this one was fine but just not for me.

Thank you to net galley and Algonquin Books for the egalley of this book.

What's being marketed as a belated coming-of-age is more of an examination of geopolitics for the white American liberal intellectual. It's a nice coming-of-age, it's a mediocre look at geopolitics. It's an exemplary diary of Georgian food, it's a terrible mystery. It does a wonderful job of discussing step-parenthood and how addiction affects children, and it has a lot of great dogs. but it's a stupid ending that made me want to throw my Kindle in frustration. Such is the plight of "A Dog in Georgia," a book of contrasts that don't quite work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A woman with animals and a gift for finding lost dogs, is at a crossroad in her life. Online she has been following the story of a lost dog in Georgia (the county not the state). So she decides to put her “life” on hold while she flys to Georgia to find this missing dog. Of course, it becomes a journey of self discovery and more. She experiences Georgian culture and society while living with the local residents. The reader learns a lot as well. For me this book was primarily worth reading to learn the perspective of the Georgians.

"A Dog in Georgia" is a stunning and (frighteningly) timely novel that is impossible to place into any one classification or category. In simple terms, it is a story about a woman who, while searching for a remarkable (and symbolic) stray dog in post-Soviet Georgia, is truly searching for herself and her place in the world. But it is about so much more. My sincere gratitude to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for trusting me (again) with an advance copy of a Lauren Grodstein novel for review. She is an all-time favorite of mine.

ADiG is a novel of tremendous depth and delivers the weight of history up to our present day (including the ways in which sociopolitical events repeat themselves - and NOT for the better). It is a story of american privilege and the idea that "it can't happen here" while "it" is chillingly doing just that. It is a story fraught with human complexities. On one hand how giving, selfless, and resilient humans can be and, conversely, how merciless, greedy, and inhumane. And it is a story of relationships - between families, friends, like-minded strangers, and, of course, DOGS! The "invisible thread" that ties some of us to these angels on earth.

The novel is set, primarily, in post-soviet Georgia (with Russia still an ever-present and looming threat -- waging war in Ukraine -- an insidious presence that has never gone away). And with that, the ongoing consequences (financial, educational, cultural, etc.) faced by people living under a singularly focused Russian leader with his "foot on the neck" of democracy. These are weary people who have lived through much upheaval and believe more in "reality" than in promises. Especially promises made by powerful others.

Lauren Grodstein's meticulous research shines through in each of her novels - from topics such as terminal diagnoses, separation, divorce, and family systems to the historical horrors of Nazi Germany and modern day politics as mentioned earlier. She also embeds much of her personal life within the pages she writes and brings layered and complex characters into existence in the process. The protagonist Amy Webb's complicated childhood (with an absent father) and her marriage to a larger than life restaurateur, Judd, who philanders and takes for granted the devotion of his wife, launch her heroine's journey to Georgia (and Paris!!). Amy, still very beautiful but feeling older and dissatisfied, has filled her life with cooking, teaching, caretaking, and YouTube videos featuring animals. From the thread that has kept her deeply connected to dogs throughout her life, Amy takes on the project of locating a beloved dog in Georgia who has gone missing and becomes a focus of her charity and attention online. This diversion gives her purpose and removes her, briefly, from the unfulfilling confusion of her life in NYC.

Since I've also had the pleasure of getting to know this writer, over a number of years, via social media account(s) and some messaging, I am privy to the lengths she goes to in researching (living and embodying) many of the things she writes about. This is what gives her characters and settings such a multidimensional and unique presence. Animates them and makes them unforgettable.

In many ways, Amy sees herself as a savior and there are moments of great personal leveling when she is shown -- through the lives of those she has been living with and among -- that she has been taking her freedom and privilege for granted because that is very much what we do in this country. From believing she is the one to singlehandedly save the missing Angel, to her standing behind the "safety" of being a tourist and an American, she slowly realizes how much she has been given, but also how little she can control the world around her.

She comes to a realization that she no longer desires dependence on a person (in this case her husband, Judd) and knows that her stepson, Ferry, will be just fine and will always be part of her life. She does not have to people-please and caretake and we see (at the incredible conclusion to the novel) that she may now be walking an entirely different path as the result of these cumulative experiences. The allure of her safe "home" (of what she knew) and of New York, the US, her marriage, and teaching may not be the solid structure she thought they were. All the things she knows and relies upon may need to be upended so that she can begin again. I REALLY loved this character and this story.

As is typical in Lauren Grodstein's books, ALL of the characters are complicated and layered (just like people in real life). They are as easy to admire as they are maddeningly naive and selfish, but that is the human condition.

PREORDER THIS NOVEL!!!! I took extra time in writing the review it deserves and I will be reading ADiG again. Simply marvelous work. Brava!

Exquisitely written. One of the strangest, most interesting stories I think I've read. Longer review coming. I need to think about this one.

This is an amazing book! I'm so glad I read it. In some ways it was a story of personal growth, in other ways a philosophical political commentary on the world! What does it mean to be free? Personally, politically, emotionally? This book resonated with me in so many ways. Ostensibly, its a story about Amy, who having discovered evidence of her husband's possible infidelity, decides to travel to the country of Georgia. Amy, is a huge dog lover and has been following a dog name Angel on YouTube. Angel has disappeared, and Amy decides that in the midst of her marital turmoil, she will go to Georgia to help locate Angel. What follows is a beautiful story of friendship, of family, of emotional growth and so much more. I absolutely loved this book...one of the most meaningful books I've read in a very long time! I would give more than 5 stars if it were possible!

"A Dog in Georgia" Starts in NYC. Amy a dog lover, reads about a dog named Angel that came up missing in Georgia. Not Georgia USA, but Georgia by Russia and the Ukraine. Amy is offered a place to stay in Georgia while she searches for the famous dog who walks kids to school and is beloved by the town people. When she gets there she starts to make friends with the woman who owns the home. and her teenaged daughter Maia. and an male tennant who is there temporarily. Amy sets out to find the dog Angel but the in the book this is only a small part of the topic. Amy gets to Georgia when the country is in upheaval. Russia is trying to take over parts of Georgia and there are a lot of politics involved that are divided amongst the townspeople.
Amy also finds that the houseowner has other reasons for Amy to be there in Georgia. She asks Amy if she would take her teenage daughter back to the USA with her because she if fearful for her rebellious daughter's safety. Add to the drama that Amy has back in the USA convinced her husband is having an affair, she is the step mother to Ferry her spouse's son who counts on Amy to be a reliable mom to him since his own mother is a drug addict. There is a LOT going on in Amy's life. She is witnessing the political dealings in Georgia, trying to decide if she should help the teenage girl. and of course, where is that dog Angel? I liked this book for the most part. the dog search is a small part of the book that i hoped had a happy ending. A good read. I would give this a 3.5.

“A Dog in Georgia” by Lauren Grodstein is a story of personal growth and development. Amy travels from New York City to the country of Georgia, ostensibly to find a lost dog named Angel. In reality, Amy is embarking on a quest to face herself and the meaning and purpose in her life. “A Dog in Georgia” is the story of one individual who chooses to interact with another culture, and a reflection on our lives as Americans. It is well written and contains multiple layers that invite the reader to think about the interconnectivity of our lives and the many choices available to us.

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin books for providing me with an Advance Readers Copy.

Amy has been following YouTube videos about a dog named Angel, in the country Georgia, who helped walk children to school. When Angel goes missing, Amy decides she has to help, so she travels to Georgia to help search for Angel.

Amy is grappling with evidence of yet another affair from her husband, she is searching for Angel to get away from her own troubles. While in Georgia Amy stays with a family who offers her a room in their home, she starts to make friends with the family and learns more about the country where she is staying. Amy finds that Georgia is dealing with some political unrest and while there she starts out on a path to her own self-discovery, a later in life coming of age story.

This was my first book by Lauren Grodstein and it did not disappoint. Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

Marriage in crisis, addiction, step parenting, cheating, mid-life crisis, travel, self discovery, set in NYC / Georgia (the country!)

I absolutely LOVED this book! And the author is great too, she's hilarious IRL and writes such relatable stories (even if you're not the same age as the characters or in the same situations).

The premise is that Amy, whose escape is looking at dog videos on YouTube, decides amist the chaos of her life, to drop everything and travel to Georgia to help find a lost dog. Not just any lost dog, but a special one - there are many strays on the streets of Georgia (and many other countries).

She ends up in some *situations* but learns about herself along the way. I wish I could read it again for the first time.

As someone who really enjoyed Grodstein's last book, We Must Not Think of Ourselves, this one did not disappoint. The main character is questioning her life, commitments, self-fulfillment, etc., and steps outside of her comfort zone in the process of reassessing and rearranging her priorities. I found the struggles compelling, the characters complex and believable, and the setting unusual and interesting. The story would not have been the same in a more traditional setting.

This is the first novel I've read by Lauren Grodstein, but after reading "A Dog in Georgia", I will be adding her other books to my TBR list. I loved this novel. It takes place in NYC and the country of Georgia. The main character, Amy, is a New Yorker who is going through something hard. Let's generalize and call it familial. Georgia is also going through hardship, also familial--if you cast the current autocratic government as the tyrannical parent and Russia as the evil stepmother. Lob in a sexy and mysterious Russian, a multi-generational houseful of strong Georgian matriarchs, a spitfire of a teenage girl with revolution on her mind and few dozen dogs with big personalities and you get a story that is both charming and intense. There's also quite a bit of delicious detail devoted to food. You might get hungry reading. It scratched all of my good story itches. It made me sit up straighter as I saw looming similarities with our Country's own newly elected autocratic wannabe. But mostly, I missed the DoginGeorgia world and the characters who lived in it. Really good writing. Really good story. Really good book.

I am obsessed with Lauren Grodstein 's newest novel (not out yet but pre-order, trust me), A Dog in Georgia (the once Soviet country, not the American state.) About how and why we save people, and how we learn to save ourselves, the novel follows Amy, a wife and mother, who goes to Georgia to find a missing dog, and instead, discovers the achingly missing pieces of herself. About politics and protests, love and lust, the book does what the best books do: immerses you in a foreign culture (with unnerving parallels to ours) so raw and intimate, you see, hear and taste it. Oh my God, this novel.

Laura Grodstein has a great book coming out this summer. A Dog in Georgia was such a great read. I loved it.

Wow, this really hit me in the feels because I identify a lot with the main character. Loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!